CN104884776B - System and method for the fuel-air ratio that internal combustion engine is electronically controlled - Google Patents

Abstract

The present application discloses systems and methods for electronically controlling the fuel-to-air ratio of a fuel mixture provided to an internal combustion engine. In one aspect, an electronic control system and method is provided that determines and automatically moves a throttle valve based on a first ramp having a first characteristic that is dependent on engine temperature and ambient air temperature. In another aspect, an integrated ignition and electronic auto-throttle module is provided. In yet another aspect, an electronic control system and method for dynamically controlling a movement characteristic of a throttle valve using a feedback loop is provided.

Description

System and method for electronically controlling the fuel-to-air ratio of an internal combustion engine

Cross references to related patent applications

This application claims the benefit of US Provisional Patent Application No. 61/866,485, filed August 15, 2013, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.

technical field

The present invention relates generally to systems and methods for controlling the fuel-to-air ratio of an internal combustion engine, and more particularly to a system for electronically controlling the fuel-to-air ratio of an internal combustion engine by electronically controlling the position of a throttle valve in a carburetor and methods.

Background technique

Electronically controlled carburetors have been developed in order to improve engine starting and performance characteristics (such as when the engine is idling). In this known control system, the fuel-air ratio of the fuel mixture introduced into the combustion chamber is regulated by controlling the setting of a throttle valve within the carburetor. Throttle setting is determined by taking into account variables such as engine speed, intake air pressure, and engine coolant temperature. However, taking into account the above variables in determining the setting of the throttle valve has been considered suboptimal.

Additionally, in known systems for controlling the fuel-to-air ratio of the fuel mixture, the control system is created as an independent and/or separate module with respect to the engine and other modules and/or subsystems of the engine. Thus, existing electronic control systems may add additional expense, take up useful space in the engine compartment, and cause increased complexity in designing and/or building the engine.

In view of the foregoing, there is a need for improved systems and methods for electronically controlling the fuel-to-air ratio of an internal combustion engine.

Contents of the invention

The present invention relates to systems and methods for electronically controlling the fuel-to-air ratio of a fuel mixture provided to an internal combustion engine, and in other examples to internal combustion engines including the same systems and methods.

According to an aspect of the present disclosure, there is disclosed a method of controlling a throttle valve of an internal combustion engine using an electronic system, the electronic system including in operable cooperation: a controller, a temperature sensor configured to measure a first temperature indicative of an engine temperature A first temperature sensor, a second temperature sensor configured to measure a second temperature indicative of ambient air temperature, and an actuator configured to move the throttle valve, the method comprising: a) determining, with the controller, a starting position for the throttle valve at the first temperature; b) performing a first throttle opening phase comprising moving the throttle valve from an initial position is moved to the starting position; c) determining, with the controller, a first ramp for opening the throttle valve, wherein a first characteristic of the first ramp depends on the first and second two temperatures; and d) after completion of said first throttle opening phase, performing a second throttle opening phase, said second throttle opening phase comprising using said actuator to move said first ramp The throttle valve moves toward the fully open position.

According to another aspect of the present disclosure, a method of controlling a throttle valve of an internal combustion engine using an electronic system is disclosed, the electronic system including in operable cooperation a controller, a temperature sensor configured to measure a first temperature representative of the temperature of the engine A first temperature sensor, a second temperature sensor configured to measure a second temperature indicative of ambient air temperature, and an actuator configured to move the throttle valve, the method comprising: a) determining, with the controller, opening a first ramp of the throttle valve, wherein a first characteristic of the first ramp is dependent on the first temperature and the difference between the first temperature and the second temperature; and b) A throttle opening phase is performed using the actuator, the throttle opening phase comprising moving the throttle valve according to the first ramp towards a fully open position with the actuator.

According to yet another aspect of the present disclosure, an electronic system for controlling a throttle valve of an internal combustion engine is disclosed, the electronic system includes: a first temperature sensor configured to measure a temperature indicative of engine temperature a first temperature; a second temperature sensor configured to measure a second temperature indicative of ambient air temperature; an actuator operatively coupled to the throttle valve to adjust the a position of a throttle valve, thereby adjusting a fuel-air ratio of a fuel mixture to be combusted in said internal combustion engine; and a controller operatively coupled to said actuator, said first temperature sensor, and the second temperature sensor, the controller configured to: (1) determine an actuation position for the throttle valve based on the first temperature, and operate the actuator to open at a first throttle moving a throttle valve from an initial position to said start position during a phase; and (2) determining a first ramp having characteristics dependent on said first and second temperatures and according to said A first ramp operates the actuator to move the throttle towards a fully open position during a second throttle opening phase.

In yet another aspect of the present disclosure, an integrated ignition and electronic auto-throttle module is disclosed. In such an aspect of the invention, the integrated ignition and electronic auto-throttle module includes: a housing housing configured to be mounted to an engine block of an internal combustion engine proximate to a flywheel; said housing housing: a first a temperature sensor, the first temperature sensor for measuring a first temperature indicative of an engine temperature; a controller, operatively coupled to the first engine temperature sensor, the controller configured to: based on the determining an actuation position of a throttle valve at the first temperature; and operating an actuator to move the throttle valve into the actuation position during a first throttle opening phase; and an ignition circuit.

In yet another aspect of the present disclosure, a method of controlling a throttle valve of an internal combustion engine using an electronic system comprising, in operable cooperation, a controller, a feedback sensor configured to measure a parameter, and a To move an actuator of the throttle valve, the parameter representing the air-fuel ratio of the air-fuel mixture to be combusted or being combusted in the internal combustion engine, the method comprising: a) the controller iterating from the a feedback sensor receiving a signal representative of a parameter measured during movement of the throttle valve from the activated position towards the fully open position; b) based on the most recently received signal from the feedback sensor, using the controller determining the rate at which the throttle valve is being moved toward the fully open position; c) using the actuator, moving the throttle valve toward the fully open position at the rate most recently determined during step b) position shift; and d) looping to step a) until it is determined with the controller that the throttle valve is in the fully open position.

In an even further aspect of the present disclosure, a method of controlling a throttle valve of an internal combustion engine using an electronic system comprising, in operable cooperation, a controller, a feedback sensor configured to measure a parameter, and An actuator configured to move said throttle valve, said parameter being indicative of an air-fuel ratio of an air-fuel mixture to be combusted or being combusted in said internal combustion engine, said method comprising: a) performing a dynamic throttle opening phase, said The dynamic throttle opening phase includes using the actuator to move the throttle valve from The start position moves toward the fully open position.

In an even further aspect of the present disclosure, an electronic system for controlling a throttle valve of an internal combustion engine is disclosed, the electronic system comprising: a feedback sensor configured to measure a parameter indicative of the A parameter of whether the air-fuel mixture combusted in an internal combustion engine is at an optimum air-fuel ratio; an actuator operatively coupled to the throttle valve to adjust the position of the throttle valve, thereby adjusting the a fuel-to-air ratio in the fuel mixture; and a controller operatively coupled to the actuator and the feedback sensor to form a feedback loop, the controller configured to, based on the Measurements made by the sensor move the throttle valve from the start position throttle valve to the fully open position.

Yet another area of applicability of the present invention will become apparent from the detailed description provided below. It should be understood that the detailed description and specific examples, while indicating the preferred embodiment of the invention, are intended for purposes of illustration only and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention.

Description of drawings

The invention will be more fully understood from the detailed description and accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is the schematic diagram of electronic automatic throttling system according to the present invention;

2A to 2C show a flow chart of a method for opening a throttle valve performed by the electronic automatic throttle system of FIG. 1 according to the present invention;

3 is a linear graph of throttle valve position versus time during execution of the method of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a relational data table for determining the starting position of the throttle valve by the controller based on the measured engine temperature;

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing the throttle valve at different starting positions according to the relational data table of FIG. 4;

6 is a line graph depicting throttle position versus time during execution of the method of FIG. 2 , wherein a single faulty engine cranking event has been detected while the throttle is in the start position;

7 is a line graph depicting throttle position versus time during performance of the method of FIG. 2, wherein three consecutive failed engine cranking events have been detected while the throttle was in the start position and the system was reset;

Fig. 8 is a relational data table for determining the starting position of the throttle valve by the controller;

FIG. 9 is a relational data table for determining an initial ramp, an intermediate ramp, and a final ramp for a low-speed protocol by a controller;

FIG. 10 is a relational data table for determining initial ramps, intermediate ramps, and final ramps for high-speed protocols by the controller;

11 is a line graph of throttle valve position versus time based on the relational data tables of FIGS. 8-10 during execution of the method of FIG. 2 , wherein a low speed protocol has been used for cold engine starting;

12 is a line graph of throttle valve position versus time based on the relational data tables of FIGS. 8-10 during execution of the method of FIG. 2 , wherein a high speed protocol has been used for cold engine starting;

Fig. 13 is a relational data table for determining the starting position of the throttle valve by the controller;

14 is a relational data table for determining initial ramps, intermediate ramps, and final ramps for a low-speed protocol by the controller;

15 is a line graph of throttle valve position versus time based on the relational data tables of FIGS. 13-14 during execution of the method of FIG. 2 , wherein the low speed protocol of FIG. 8 has been used for cold engine starting;

16 is a line graph of throttle valve position versus time based on the relational data tables of FIGS. 13-14 during execution of the method of FIG. 2, wherein the low speed protocol of FIG. 8 has been used for hot engine starting;

17 is a linear graph of throttle valve position versus time during execution of the method of FIG. 2 when an engine off condition is detected;

Fig. 18 is a diagram of 4 pulse signal groups used to drive the stepper motor to move a complete rotation, which sequentially opens and closes the throttle valve in a corresponding manner;

FIG. 19 is a diagram of two consecutive 4-pulse signal groups, wherein the delay between 4-pulse groups is set equal to the delay between successive pulses in the 4-pulse group, thereby achieving a first rate of throttle opening;

Figure 20 is a diagram of two consecutive 4-pulse signal groups, where the delay between the 4-pulse groups is set to be greater than the delay between successive pulses in the 4-pulse group, thereby achieving an opening of the throttle valve that is smaller than that of Figure 19 the second rate of the first rate;

Figure 21 is a schematic diagram of an integrated ignition and electronic auto-throttle module according to the present invention;

Fig. 22 is a schematic diagram of an air-cooled internal combustion engine according to the present invention, wherein the integrated ignition and automatic throttle module of Fig. 19 has been installed therein;

23 is a perspective view of an exemplary structural arrangement of the integrated ignition and electronic auto-throttle module of FIG. 19 in accordance with the present invention;

24 is a perspective view of the internal components of the integrated ignition and electronic auto-throttle module of FIG. 23 with the housing removed, in accordance with the present invention;

25 is a schematic diagram of another integrated ignition and electronic auto-throttle module according to the present invention.

Detailed ways

The following description of the embodiments of the invention is merely exemplary in nature and is in no way intended to limit the invention, the application or uses of the invention. The description of illustrative embodiments in accordance with the principles of the invention is intended to be read with the accompanying drawings which are considered a part of the entire written description. In describing the invention disclosed herein, any reference to direction or orientation is for convenience of description only and is not meant to limit the scope of the invention in any way. For example "lower", "higher", "horizontal", "vertical", "above", "below", "top", "bottom", "left", "right", "top ”, “bottom”, “front” and “rear” and their derivatives (such as “horizontally”, “downwardly”, “upwardly”, etc.) should be interpreted as orientation shown in . These relative terms are for convenience of description only and do not require that the device be constructed or operate in a particular orientation unless expressly so indicated. Unless expressly stated otherwise, terms such as "attached," "attached," "connected," "coupled," "interconnected," "fixed," and similar terms mean that structures are connected to each other directly or indirectly through intervening structures. A fixed or attached relationship, and a movable or rigid attachment or relationship. Furthermore, the features and benefits of the invention are explained with reference to the examples shown herein. Therefore, it is evident that the invention should not be limited to such examples, even if indicated to be preferred. The discussion herein describes and illustrates some possible non-limiting combinations of features, which may exist alone or in combination with other features.

Referring first to FIG. 1 , there is shown an electronic throttle system 1000 in accordance with the present invention. As illustrated, the electronic throttle system 1000 generally includes a controller 10 , an actuator 20 , a first temperature sensor 30 , a second temperature sensor 40 , and an engine speed sensor 60 . As discussed below, an exhaust gas sensor 50 (or other sensors as discussed below) may be included in the electronic automatic throttle system 1000 of certain aspects of the present invention to gather additional information that may be used to control the position and movement of the throttle valve. or alternative input.

The controller 10, the actuator 20, the first temperature sensor 30, the second temperature 40 and the engine speed sensor 60 may be in operable cooperation with each other via electrical connections/communication channels 51-55, schematically indicated by dashed lines. Depending on the needs of a particular electronic throttle system 1000, electrical connections/communication channels 51-55 may include, without limitation, electrical wires, fiber optics, communication cables, wireless communication paths, or combinations thereof. As described in more detail below, as long as each of the electrical connection/communication channels 51-55 can facilitate desired operation, transmission, communication, power supply and/or control between the coupled elements/components, the electrical connection/communication channels 51-55 The exact structural characteristics and arrangement of communication channels 51-55 are not limiting of the invention.

As shown in FIG. 1 , an electronic throttle system 1000 is operatively coupled to an internal combustion engine 100 according to the present invention. As shown, internal combustion engine 100 generally includes a carburetor 110 and an engine block 120 . A fuel supplier 130 is operably coupled to internal combustion engine 100 (specifically, to carburetor 110 ) according to known techniques. Electronic throttle system 1000 is operatively coupled to a power source 140 such as a battery, alternator, or other energy storage device according to known techniques. The internal combustion engine 100 of course includes and is supplemented by many other subsystems and elements/components. For ease of discussion, such details have been omitted herein if such details are not necessary for an understanding of the invention.

The controller 10 includes a processor 11 and a storage device 12 . Although the processor 11 and the storage device 12 are illustrated as separate components, the storage device 12 may be integrated with the processor 11 if necessary. Furthermore, although only one processor 11 and one storage device 12 are illustrated, the controller 10 may include a plurality of processors 11 and a plurality of storage devices 12 .

Processor 11 may be any computer central processing unit (CPU), microprocessor, microcontroller, computing device or circuit configured to perform some or all of the processes described herein, including (without limitation): (1 ) look up and execute a throttle relational data table; (2) receive, parse, and use the temperature signals generated by the first and second temperature sensors 30, 40 as variables determined for the relational data table; (3 ) receiving, interpreting, and using the engine speed signal generated by engine speed sensor 60 in determining whether engine cranking speed and/or engine cranking speed has been reached and whether a low speed or high speed protocol should be used; and (4) generating and send control signals to operate the actuator 20 to move the throttle valve 111 to a desired position and at a desired rate.

Storage device 12 may include, without limitation, any suitable volatile or non-volatile memory, including random access memory (RAM) and its various types, read only memory (ROM) and its various types, USB flash memory, Flash memory and magnetic or optical data storage devices (such as internal/external hard disks, floppy disks, magnetic tape CD-ROMs, DVD-ROMs, optical disks, ZIP ^™ drives, Blu-ray disks, and others) that can be operatively connected to Its processor 11 writes and/or reads. Storage device 12 may store relational data tables (described in more detail below) or other algorithms and/or calculations that may be used (by processor 11) to determine a desired position and position of throttle valve 111. and/or the rate at which the throttle valve 111 is moved. As discussed in more detail below, the temperature measured by each of the first and second temperature sensors 30, 40 and the engine speed measured by the engine speed sensor 60 can be used together as input variables to determine the The optimal position of the throttle valve and/or the rate at which the throttle valve 111 moves between the optimal positions during an open process event.

Although the determination of the optimum position of the throttle valve 111 and the optimum rate of movement of the throttle valve 111 between the optimum positions will be described herein with respect to utilizing a relational data table, the present invention is not in all respects so restricted. For example, the calculation of throttle position and travel rate may take many forms including, without limitation, one or more algorithms, one or more relational data tables, or combinations thereof.

Controller 10 is operatively coupled to actuator 20 . The actuator 20 is then operatively coupled to the throttle valve 111 . Controller 10 can operate actuator 20 in a desired manner by generating and sending control signals. For example, controller 10 may generate control signals (such as the groups of 4 pulses shown in FIGS. 17-19 discussed below) based on determinations made during execution of the methods discussed herein. In response to a control signal resulting from execution of the methods described herein, the actuator 20 is suitably activated to adjust/move the throttle valve 111 to a desired position corresponding to that which has been determined by the controller 10 Location. In response to these control signals, the actuator 20 is appropriately actuated to adjust the position of the throttle valve 111 and the rate at which the throttle valve 111 moves.

The throttle valve 111 is adjustable between a fully closed position, a fully open position, and any incremental and/or continuous position settings between the fully closed and fully open positions. One such position is the starting position, which may be determined as the optimum position for effecting engine starting from an engine off state. Actuator 20 is operatively coupled to throttle valve 111 via mechanical linkage 65 . The mechanical linkage may take the form of any mechanical connection between the throttle valve 111 and the actuator 20 such that when the actuator 20 operates/moves, the throttle valve 111 (which may be a throttle of the carburetor 110 board) related and determined movements. The mechanical linkage may include a rod with a ball joint, a linkage bar connected between the damper plates, and a coupling of the end of the actuator shaft through a hook. However, non-mechanical linkages are foreseen, such as electromagnetic and/or thermal couplings. When a mechanical linkage 65 is used, it is understood that the mechanical linkage 65 may take on a variety of linkage elements and their arrangements, none of which should be considered limiting of the invention.

The throttle valve 111 may in certain arrangements be a butterfly valve as is common in the art for carburetors. In such an arrangement, the position of the throttle plate is controlled by rotating the throttle plate about a throttle axis (which may be approximately perpendicular to the direction of airflow) so that the throttle plate assumes a different position within the air passage of the carburetor 110. angular position. At each different angular position, the throttle plate blocks a different percentage of the lateral area of the air passage of the carburetor 110 . Thus, the flow characteristics of the ambient airflow 112 through the air passage are altered. Because fuel is introduced into this ambient airflow 112 via the fuel supply line, the fuel-to-air ratio of the fuel mixture established within the carburetor 110 (and ultimately supplied to the combustion chamber 121 via the fuel mixture line 115) is varied by the throttle plate position .

Although the throttle valve 111 is illustrated as a butterfly valve including a throttle plate, the throttle valve 111 is not limited to a throttle plate structure in all aspects of the present invention. Throttle valve 111 may be any type of device that may be manipulated to various positions (ie, settings) that ultimately vary the fuel-to-air ratio of the fuel mixture provided to combustion chamber 121 . For example and without limitation, throttle valve 111 may take the form of a gate valve, a ball valve, a pinch valve, a diaphragm valve, a needle valve, a plug valve, a ball valve, a control valve, or combinations thereof.

In one aspect, actuator 20 may comprise a stepper motor. The stepper motor can divide the rotation required to adjust the throttle valve 111 from the fully closed position to the fully open position into several equal increments so that fine adjustment of the setting of the throttle valve 111 can be achieved. The position of the stepper motor can be commanded by the controller 110 to move and hold at any of these increments. In certain arrangements, a motor drive circuit 160 (see FIG. 24 ) may be included as part of the electronic throttle system 1000 and operably coupled between the controller 10 and the actuator 20 . In the example where actuator 20 is a bipolar stepper motor, motor drive circuit 160 may be used to control and drive current in one winding of the bipolar stepper motor and includes compatible logic inputs, current sensors, monostable state and an output stage with built-in protection diodes. In some other arrangements, the motor drive circuitry can be omitted or built into the stepper motor itself. The motor drive circuit 160 may also include a separate internal timer to determine the drive speed. Additional controls for micro-stepping or half-stepping the actuator 20 may also be included if the design requires such specialized controls.

In some examples presented herein, the actuator 20 is a stepper motor in which the motor movement is divided into equal 4 motor step increments. Four complete steps of a unipolar stepper motor can also be considered as one complete revolution of the motor. Motor movement in both directions will be referred to as rotation. In one such example, a stepper motor performing 55 revolutions is used to move the throttle valve 111 from a fully closed position to a fully open position.

Although a stepper motor is exemplified as a suitable actuator 20, the actuator 20 may be any device or component that can convert the control signal generated by the controller 10 into physical operation of the throttle valve 111, to adjust their settings. For example, in other arrangements, the actuator 20 may take the form of an electric actuator, an electromagnetic actuator, a piezoelectric actuator, a pneumatic actuator, a hydraulic piston, a relay, a comb drive, a thermal bimorph , digital micromirror devices, and electroactive polymers. Such electric actuators may include solenoids.

The first temperature sensor 30 of the electronic throttle system 1000 is positioned to measure a first temperature representative of the temperature of the internal combustion engine 100 . As illustrated, the first temperature sensor 30 may be installed to the engine block 120 to measure the temperature of the engine block 120 itself as the first temperature. As used herein, the term "engine block" is used broadly to include engine crankcase 123, cylinder block 124, and cylinder head 125 (see FIG. 21). Alternatively, the first temperature sensor 30 may be mounted to another structure sufficiently close to (or thermally cooperating with) the engine block 120 that a reliable engine block temperature measurement may be obtained. In other systems, the first temperature sensor 30 may be mounted to or adjacent to another component of the engine 100 and may measure the temperature at or near that component.

In one particular arrangement, the first temperature sensor 30 may be mounted to the engine crankcase 123 itself at a location near the flywheel 126 of the internal combustion engine 100 (see FIG. 21 ). In other arrangements, the first temperature sensor 30 may be mounted at an alternate location on the engine block 120 or may be mounted near and in contact with the engine block 120 . In other arrangements, the first temperature sensor 30 may be in contact with a component in thermal cooperation with the engine block 120 that may provide a thermal reading corresponding to the temperature of the engine block 120 in a measurable manner. In one exemplary arrangement discussed in more detail below, the first temperature sensor 30 is mounted to the laminated lamination 4070 of the ignition module 3000 , which is then secured to the engine crankcase 123 and thus thermally cooperates therewith.

As described above, the first temperature sensor 30 may measure the engine temperature and output a first temperature signal indicative of the engine temperature. As discussed in more detail below, this first temperature signal is sent via the electrical connection/communication channel 51 to the controller 10, where the signal is used by the controller to determine the starting position of the throttle valve 111 and/or the throttle valve to be activated. Turn on rate. The first temperature sensor 30 may repeatedly or continuously measure the first temperature so that the controller 10 is automatically provided with a first temperature signal representing the engine temperature. Alternatively, the first temperature sensor 30 may periodically measure the engine temperature at predetermined time periods, at predetermined engine events, and/or at predetermined engine conditions, such that only at certain desired times, at desired A first temperature signal representative of the engine temperature is provided to the controller 10 during an engine event, at a desired engine condition or while driving.

The first temperature sensor 30 may be an electrical temperature sensor. For example, the first temperature sensor 30 may include one or more thermistors. In other arrangements, the first temperature sensor 30 may include one or more thermocouples, resistance thermometers, silicon bandgap temperature sensors, thermostats, RTDs, and/or change-of-state temperature sensors.

The second temperature sensor 40 of the electronic throttle system 1000 may be positioned to measure a second temperature representative of the temperature of the ambient air 150 . As illustrated, the ambient air 150 in which the second temperature sensor 40 is positioned to measure its temperature is ultimately drawn into the carburetor 110 where it is used to generate fuel to the combustion chamber 121 via the fuel mixture line 115 fuel mixture. However, the second temperature sensor 40 may be positioned at other locations that are exposed to ambient air 150 that is not drawn into the carburetor. For example, the second temperature sensor 40 may be located near the blower inlet in an air-cooled engine arrangement (see FIG. 6 ) or anywhere that is affected by the ambient air 150 . In still other systems, the second temperature sensor 40 may be positioned to measure other temperatures, such as individual engine component temperatures or air (eg, intake, exhaust, or cooling air) temperatures.

The second temperature sensor 40 measures ambient air temperature and outputs a second temperature signal representing the ambient air temperature. As discussed in more detail below, this second temperature signal is sent to controller 10 via electrical connection/communication channel 52, where it is used by controller 10 to determine the rate at which the throttle valve is to be opened. In other arrangements, the second temperature signal may also be used by the controller 10 (in combination with the first temperature signal) to determine the actuation position of the throttle valve 111 .

The second temperature sensor 40 may repeatedly or continuously measure the second temperature, so that the controller 10 is automatically provided with a second temperature signal representing the ambient air temperature. Alternatively, the second temperature sensor 40 may periodically measure the second temperature at predetermined time periods, at predetermined engine events, and/or at predetermined engine conditions, such that only at certain desired times, at desired A second temperature signal representative of the ambient air temperature is provided to the controller 10 during engine events, under desired engine conditions, or while driving.

The second temperature sensor 40 may be an electrical temperature sensor. For example, the second temperature sensor 40 may include one or more thermistors. In other arrangements, the second temperature sensor 40 may comprise one or more thermocouples, resistance thermometers, and/or silicon bandgap temperature sensors. In certain arrangements of the invention, the second temperature sensor 40 may be omitted if ambient air temperature does not play a role in determining the optimization of the throttle valve positioning and/or travel rate of the throttle valve.

The electronic throttle system 1000 also includes an engine speed sensor 60 . The engine speed sensor 60 is configured to measure the speed of the internal combustion engine. As mentioned above, engine speed sensor 60 is operatively coupled to controller 10 via electrical channel 55 . As discussed in more detail below, the engine speed sensor 60 measures the engine speed of the internal combustion engine and relays this information to the controller 10 so that the controller can determine the optimal position of the throttle valve 111 and/or open the throttle valve 111 The measured engine speed is used in the rate. In one arrangement (see FIG. 21 ), the engine speed sensor 60 may comprise a charge coil, which may be considered a rotational sensor, responsive to a magnet on the flywheel, due to the magnetic circuit formed in the laminated laminations. to generate charge. In other arrangements, such as when a magnetic ignition system is not used, a rotation sensor may be provided, a rotation sensor being a component other than and/or in addition to the charging coil, which may be detected mechanically, electrically or magnetically, potentially through Properly coupled to the crankshaft or camshaft to detect engine rotation.

Engine speed sensor 60 may repeatedly or continuously measure engine speed such that the engine speed measurement is automatically provided to controller 10 . Alternatively, engine speed sensor 60 may periodically measure engine speed at predetermined time periods, at predetermined engine events, and/or at predetermined engine conditions, such that only at certain desired times, at desired engine speeds, Engine speed measurements are provided to controller 10 in the event, under expected engine conditions, or while pushing.

In certain arrangements, the electronic automatic throttle control system 1000 may also include additional sensors so that other variables may be considered in determining the optimal positioning of the throttle valve 111 and/or the optimal rate at which the throttle valve 111 is opened. For example, the electronic automatic throttle control system 1000 may be configured to consider the air-fuel ratio in the carburetor, engine load, and/or exhaust gas characteristics in determining an optimal scheme for controlling opening of the throttle valve 111 . This may be accomplished by providing sensors or other mechanisms for measuring desired parameters and/or conditions and providing the measured parameters and/or conditions to controller 10 . In this arrangement, the determination of the position and opening rate of the throttle valve 111 is modified in an appropriate manner to include additional parameters and/or states as variables in determining the control scheme for the throttle valve 111 .

In one such arrangement, an exhaust gas sensor 50 may be provided which measures exhaust gas characteristics which are sent to the controller 10 for consideration to determine an optimized control scheme for the throttle valve 111 during engine starting and/or shutting down. Exhaust gas sensor 50 is operatively coupled to exhaust line 122 of combustion chamber 121 . Exhaust gas sensor 50 measures a desired characteristic of the exhaust gas. The exhaust gas sensor 50 can be, for example, a concentration sensor that measures the concentration of a specific mixture or gas in the exhaust gas flow, such as an oxygen concentration sensor.

Exhaust gas sensor 50 generates a signal representative of the measured exhaust gas property via electrical connection/communication channel 56 and sends the signal to controller 10 for processing. To this end, a modified version of the relational data table (or other calculation or algorithm) is stored in the memory device 12, which includes as variables the measured exhaust gas properties in addition to the measured engine temperature, ambient air temperature and/or engine speed . The processor 11 retrieves the modified version of the relational data table from the storage device 12 and uses the modified version of the relational data table to determine an optimal control scheme for the throttle valve 111 . As will be discussed in more detail, in one aspect of the invention, the exhaust gas sensor 50 (or other sensor configured to measure a parameter indicative of the air-fuel ratio to be or being combusted in the combustion chamber) may be operably coupled to the control sensor 10 to form a closed feedback loop in which the rate and/or position of the throttle valve 111 is dynamically controlled during the second throttle opening phase COS2 in response to measurements made by such a feedback sensor , which can be substantially real-time.

Referring now to FIGS. 2A to 2C and FIG. 3 concurrently, a method 200 of electronically controlling the throttle valve 111 utilizing the electronic automatic throttle system 1000 in accordance with the present invention will be described. As discussed in more detail below, the method of controlling the throttle valve 11 is illustrated as occurring during an engine start process in which the throttle valve 111 moves from an initial position to a fully open position. The throttle opening process can be roughly divided into two phases, namely, a first throttle opening phase COS1 and a second throttle opening phase COS2. The first throttle opening phase COS1 includes moving the throttle valve 111 from an initial position to a start position (to one of the lowered start positions discussed below with respect to FIGS. 6 to 7 ), while the second throttle opening phase COS2 includes The throttle valve 111 is moved from the start position (or one of the lowered start positions) to the fully open position. As illustrated, the first throttle opening stage COS2 includes opening the throttle valve 111 according to the starting ramp SR, while the second throttle opening stage COS2 includes opening the throttle valve 111 according to the initial ramp IR, the intermediate ramp MR and the final ramp FR. The throttle valve 111 is opened. In some variations, one or more of the ramps may be incorporated or omitted.

In decision step 201, the controller 10 determines whether a "key on" condition has been detected. At this stage, the throttle valve 111 is in the initial position (see FIG. 3 ). As illustrated, the initial position is a partially open position (ie, not a fully closed position) illustrated in FIG. 3 as 2% open. Of course, the initial position could take other values and in some examples could be a fully closed position if desired. However, establishing the initial position as a partially open position may have the advantage of minimizing and/or eliminating the possibility of freezing closure of the throttle valve 111 in cold conditions.

A "key-on" condition may be detected by the controller 10 when the ignition circuit is turned on (this may be accomplished, for example, by the turning of a key or the actuation of another operator-operated device). If a "key-on" condition is not detected, the electronic throttle system 1000 remains in the sleep or off mode and the method returns to activation. If a “key on” condition is detected, the method proceeds to process step 202 .

In process step 202 , the first temperature sensor 30 measures the engine temperature as the first temperature T1 , and the second temperature sensor 40 measures the ambient air temperature as the second temperature T2 . The controller 10 may cause the first and second temperature sensors 30, 40 to take temperature measurements. Once this measurement is taken, the first and second temperatures T1 , T2 are sent to the controller 10 for processing, completing processing step 202 . In processing step 203 , the controller 10 receives: (1) a first temperature T1 representing engine temperature from the first temperature sensor 30 ; and (2) a second temperature T2 representing ambient air temperature from the second temperature sensor 40 . Upon receipt of the first and second temperature signals T1, T2, the processor 11 of the controller 10 retrieves from the memory device 12 a relational data table for determining the starting position of the throttle valve 111 based at least on the measured first temperature T1.

An example of a start position relationship data table from which the start position of the throttle valve 111 may be determined by the controller 10 is shown in FIG. 4 (shown graphically in FIG. 5 ). The values of the starting position relationship data table can be established by experimentation and/or calibration, so that the starting position of the throttle valve 111 is selected for the measured first temperature T1 (ie, the measured engine temperature), which realizes the The optimum air-fuel ratio of the mixture in the combustion chamber 121. Optimization of the air-fuel ratio of the mixture may include reducing emissions, improving engine starting, reducing misfires, increasing fuel efficiency, or combinations thereof. As shown in FIG. 4, when the first temperature T1 is measured to be 50°F (or to be measured at a number rounded to 50°F), the controller 10 determines that the start position of the throttle valve 111 is to be set at 7% is turned on, thereby completing the processing step 203.

Although in the illustrated method the starting position is determined independently of the second temperature T2, in other arrangements of the invention the starting position may be based on both the first and second temperatures T1 and T2. For example, in one such alternative arrangement, the starting position may be based on both the first temperature T1 and the second temperature T2. In a particular example, the second temperature T2 may have an influence on the determination of the starting position of the throttle valve 111 only if the (absolute) difference between the first and second temperatures T1, T2 is at or exceeds a predetermined threshold.

Once step 203 is completed and the controller has determined the start position of the throttle valve, the controller 10 generates an appropriate control signal and sends this control signal via the electrical connection/communication channel 53 (discussed in more detail below with respect to FIGS. 18-20 ) to the actuator 20. Upon receipt of the control signal, the actuator 20 moves the throttle valve 111 from the initial position (which is 2% open in the example of FIG. 3 ) to the starting position (which is 7% open in the example of FIG. 3 ), Process step 204 is thus completed. In opening the throttle valve 111 from the initial position to the start position, in one arrangement the controller 10 will open the throttle valve 111 at the fastest rate possible for the actuator 20 (see Figure 18). Thus, as shown graphically in FIG. 3 , the slope of the start ramp SR is at a maximum value achievable by the actuator 20 .

Once the throttle valve 111 is in the start position, the controller 10 continues to monitor the status of the internal combustion engine 100 . Specifically, at process step 205, the engine speed is measured using the engine speed sensor 60 while the throttle valve 111 is held in the start position. Controller 10 receives/detects the measured engine speed, completing process step 206 . Upon receiving the measured engine speed, the controller 10 determines whether the measured engine speed is at or above the engine crank speed, thereby executing decision step 207 . The engine crank speed may be a predetermined speed that is stored in the memory device 12 and indicates that the internal combustion engine 100 is turning. For example, in one particular arrangement, the engine crank speed may be set at 300 revolutions per minute (RPM). Of course, other values may be used as the cranking speed of the engine. The exact numerical value used may depend on various factors including engine power rating and the like.

If, when executing decision step 207 , controller 10 determines that the measured speed is not at or above (ie, below) the engine crank speed, then controller 10 returns to process step 205 . However, if, upon execution of decision step 207, controller 10 determines that the measured speed is at or above the engine crank speed, then controller 10 proceeds to decision step 208, where controller 10 receives a new speed from engine speed sensor 60. engine speed measurements, and evaluate newly received engine speed measurements to determine if a faulty cranking event has occurred. In determining whether a faulty cranking event has occurred, controller 10 compares the newly received engine speed measurement to a predetermined engine speed stored in memory device 12, which in some examples may be the engine crankshaft Rotation speed. If, in executing decision step 208 , it is determined that a faulty panning event has not occurred, then controller 10 proceeds to decision step 209 . Figure 3 illustrates a situation where no faulty cranking events are detected during the engine start process.

Referring now to FIGS. 2A and 6-7 concurrently, if it is determined in execution decision step 208 that a faulty cranking event has occurred, then controller 10 proceeds to process step 210 . At process step 210, the controller 210 increments (ie, increments by 1) a counter used to track the number of consecutive failed panning events. Once process step 210 ends, controller 10 proceeds to decision step 211 where it analyzes the counter to determine whether the number of consecutive faulty cranking events stored by the counter is less than or equal to a predetermined number. In this example, this number is set to 4 but could be set to other numbers if desired. If it is determined that the number of consecutive failed panning events stored by the counter is less than the predetermined number, the controller 10 proceeds to process step 212 .

At process step 212 , controller 10 closes throttle valve 111 by a predetermined amount such that throttle valve 111 moves from the start position to a first lowered start position, controller 10 then returns to process step 205 . A more fuel-rich mixture of air and fuel is introduced into the combustion chamber 121 by closing the throttle valve 111 by a predetermined amount, which in the illustrated embodiment is 7%. As shown in FIG. 6 , a single faulty crank event is detected in this example and the throttle valve 111 is closed to a first lowered start position. When steps 205-208 are performed with the throttle valve 111 in the first reduced start position, the controller 10 has determined at decision step 208 that no faulty cranking event has been detected and the controller 10 moves to decision step 209, The second throttle-on phase SOC2 (discussed in more detail below) thus begins. In the example of FIG. 6, the second throttle-opening phase SOC2 includes moving the throttle valve 111 from a first lowered starting position to a fully open position, while the first throttle-opening phase SOC1 includes moving the throttle valve 111 from an initial position to a fully open position. Move to the start position, and then move from the start position to the first lowered start position.

As shown in FIG. 7 , it is possible that additional consecutive faulty cranking events may be detected at decision step 208 after the throttle valve has been moved to the first lowered start position and the process returns to process step 205 . In such an event, steps 210-212 are executed each time until it is determined at decision step 211 that the number of consecutive faulty cranking events stored by the counter is not less than a predetermined number. However, each successive faulty crank event detected at decision step 208, and subsequently determined at decision step 211 that the number of consecutive failed crank events stored by the counter is less than a predetermined number, the controller 10 will continue to throttle 111 closes an additional amount. As illustrated in FIG. 7 , the second time this occurs, the position of the throttle valve 111 is moved from a first lowered start position to a second lowered start position. The third time this occurs, the position of the throttle valve 111 is moved from the second lowered start position to the third lowered start position. However, the fourth time this occurs, the position of the throttle valve 111 moves from the third lowered start position to the fourth lowered start position, but then at decision step 211 it is determined that the successive faulty cranking events stored by the counter The quantity is not less than the predetermined number. As a result of this determination, the controller 10 proceeds to process step 213 and the controller moves the throttle valve to the fully open position. When returning to step 205, the controller 10 essentially waits for an "ignition off" signal as it is stuck in a perpetual loop. Upon detection of an "ignition off" signal, the system is reset (as shown in Figure 17) and the method 200 begins again. As illustrated in FIG. 7 , the predetermined amount by which the controller 10 closes the throttle valve 111 is the same between consecutive detected crank events (7% in this example). However, the predetermined amount may not be the same in other arrangements, but may instead vary between successive faulty cranking events. In some examples, as used herein, the term "start position" may include the "lowered start position" discussed above.

Returning now to FIGS. 2A-2C and FIG. 3 , at decision step 214 the controller 10 determines whether the measured engine speed is at or above the engine operating speed. The engine operating speed may be a predetermined speed stored in the storage device 12 . In some arrangements, the engine operating speed may indicate that the internal combustion engine 100 is at an acceptable idle speed. For example, in one particular arrangement, the engine operating speed may be set at 800 RPM. Of course, other values may be used as the engine operating speed. The exact numerical value used may depend on various factors including engine power rating and the like.

If the controller 10 determines during decision step 214 that the measured engine speed is lower than the engine operating speed, then the controller 10 returns to process step 205 . However, if the controller determines during decision step 214 that the measured engine speed is at or above the engine operating speed, then controller 10 continues to process step 215 . At process step 215, engine speed sensor 60 re-measures engine speed after a predetermined time delay (eg, 500 ms). The engine speed sensor 60 then sends the remeasured engine speed to the controller 10 for evaluation. The controller 10 receives the remeasured engine speed and determines whether the remeasured speed is at or above an engine speed threshold (which may be a predetermined empirical value stored in a memory device), thereby completing decision step 215 .

If it is determined by the controller 10 at decision step 215 that the remeasured engine speed is below the engine speed threshold, then the controller 10 proceeds to process step 216 . At process step 216, the controller 10 retrieves and uses the low-speed protocol stored in the memory device 12 to determine the characteristics of the second throttle-on phase COS2, which includes the initial ramp IR, the intermediate ramp Throttle valve 111 is opened on ramp MR and finally ramp FR, the details of which are determined from the low speed relationship data table. An exemplary low-speed relational data table described in more detail below is shown in FIG. 9 . Once the initial ramp IR, the intermediate ramp MR, and the final ramp FR for the throttle valve 111 have been determined for the low speed protocol in process step 216, the controller 10 uses the low speed relationship data table to determine the initial ramp IR, intermediate ramp MR, and final ramp FR to open throttle valve 111 using actuator 20 , thereby completing process step 217 . Once processing step 217 is complete, controller 10 proceeds to decision step 218 .

However, if at decision step 215 it is determined by controller 10 that the remeasured engine speed is at or above the engine speed threshold, then controller 10 proceeds to process step 219 . At process step 219, the controller 10 retrieves and uses the high-speed protocol stored in the memory device 12 to determine the characteristics of the second throttle-on phase COS2 comprising initial ramp IR, intermediate ramp Throttle valve 111 is opened on ramp MR and finally ramp FR, the details of which are determined from the high speed relational data table. An exemplary high-speed relational data table described in more detail below is shown in FIG. 10 . Once the initial ramp IR, the intermediate ramp MR, and the final ramp FR for the throttle valve 111 have been determined for the high-speed protocol in process step 219, the controller 10 uses the high-speed relationship data table to determine the initial ramp IR, intermediate ramp MR, and final ramp FR to open the throttle valve 111 using the actuator 20, thereby completing process step 217. Once processing step 217 is complete, controller 10 proceeds to decision step 218 .

In performing process steps 216 & 217 or process steps 219 & 217 (execution of which requires values for the measured first and second temperatures T1, T2), the controller may use the first and second values obtained in process steps 202-203. Two temperatures T1, T2. However, in some arrangements, immediately before execution of steps 216 or 219 or during some other time when the throttle valve 111 is in the start position, the new measurements for the first and second temperatures T1, T2 may be Obtained by the controller 10 from the first and second temperature sensors 30 , 40 . Obtaining the newly measured first and second temperatures T1, T2 is desirable since the engine temperature may change once the flywheel starts spinning. Furthermore, the ambient air temperature may also be different if the new air in the blower housing (which was previously outside the blower housing) is at a substantially different temperature than the air originally in the blower housing during the initial start-up measurements.

As can be seen from FIG. 2B , regardless of whether the controller 10 utilizes the low-speed protocol (steps 216 & 217) or the high-speed protocol (steps 219 & 217) to determine the characteristics of the second throttle opening stage COS2, the controller 10 arrives at processing step 217 and proceeds to Decision Step 218. In decision step 218, controller 10 determines throttle valve 111 upon completion of opening of throttle valve 111 according to the determined initial ramp IR, intermediate ramp MR, and final ramp FR of the selected high-speed or low-speed protocol. Is it in the fully open position. If it is determined that the throttle valve 111 is not fully open, the controller 10 returns to process step 217 and continues to open the throttle valve 111 according to the selected high or low speed protocol as discussed above until the throttle valve 111 reaches the fully open position. However, if at decision step 218 it is determined that the throttle valve 111 is fully open, then the controller proceeds to process step 222 . At process step 222 , movement of the throttle valve is interrupted by stopping the actuator 20 .

Upon completion of process step 222, controller 10 moves to decision step 223 in which controller 10 monitors for an "engine off" condition while the engine continues to run with throttle valve 111 in the fully open position. An "engine off" condition may take the form of the controller detecting a "key off" event (or other operator activated event that turns on the ignition circuit) or detecting that the engine speed is at zero RPM. If the controller does not detect an "engine off" condition, the controller 10 continues to monitor for an "engine off" condition, looping at decision step 223 . However, if the controller detects an "engine off" condition at decision step 223, the controller 10 executes process steps 224-245 during the closing process of eventually returning the throttle valve 111 to the initial position.

This shutdown process is now described with respect to FIGS. 2C and 17 . At process step 224 , the controller moves the throttle valve 111 from the fully open position to the fully closed position, thereby completing process step 224 . Closing of throttle valve 111 is shown graphically in FIG. 17 as closing ramp CR. During a closing ramp (ie, a negative slope), the rate of movement of the throttle valve may be the maximum rate at which the actuator 20 may close the throttle valve 111 . After a time delay, the controller 10 then opens the throttle valve 111 to the initial position, thereby completing the processing step 225 . This movement may occur after the engine 100 is turned off, requiring power to remain at the controller 10 for this period of time. As noted above, the initial position may be a partially open position, eg 2% open. This will prevent any possible problems with the throttle valve 111 freezing in full closure, which can occur in embodiments where the throttle valve 111 is a throttle plate that can freeze into the carburetor body. The system then shuts down and waits for another "key on" signal.

Referring now to FIGS. 8-9 concurrently, further details of the second throttle opening phase COS2 will now be discussed, including those related to determining the characteristics of the initial, intermediate, and final ramps that the throttle valve 111 follows during opening (e.g., the duration Details about the characteristics of time and rate/slope). The following describes the determination of the characteristics of the initial ramp, the intermediate ramp and the final ramp with respect to data set 1 of FIGS. Control, where the low speed protocol has been selected for the second throttle-on phase COS2. However, it is to be understood that the same principles apply to the determination of initial ramp, intermediate ramp, final ramp characteristics when high speed protocols are used and/or when the start is for a "hot" engine.

As illustrated, the initial ramp IR extends from the starting position to a first intermediate position. The intermediate ramp MR extends from the first intermediate position to the second position. The final ramp extends from the second intermediate position to the fully open position. Conceptually, the initial ramp IR can be considered as the first throttle-on sub-phase of the second throttle-on phase COS2, and the intermediate ramp MR can be considered as the second throttle-on sub-phase of the second throttle-on phase COS2 , the final ramp FR can be considered as the third throttle-on sub-phase of the second throttle-on phase COS2.

As can be seen in FIG. 8 (and as discussed above), the starting position of the throttle valve 111 is determined based on the measured first temperature T1 , ie the measured engine temperature. In the example of data set 1, the first measured temperature T1 is 10°F, and the second measured temperature T2 is 10°F. As can be seen from the relational data table of FIG. 8 , in order to determine the starting position, the controller may have to round the measured first temperature T1 to the nearest value whose reading is determined in the relational data table. In this example, the determination of the starting position is made independently of the second measured temperature T2. However, as mentioned above, in some alternative arrangements, the second measured temperature T2 may have an influence on the determination of the starting position.

In the present example where the measured first temperature T1 is 10°F, the controller 10 determines that the starting position of the throttle valve 10 is 2% open. However, since the initial position is also set to 2% open, the controller 10 does not need to open the throttle valve 111 to achieve this starting position (thereby eliminating the starting ramp). Therefore, in this case, the initial position and the starting position are the same.

After the controller has determined that the low speed protocol is to be used (as discussed above), the controller 10 uses the relational data table of FIG. 9 to determine the initial ramp IR. For a first measured temperature of 10°F, the controller 10 determines that the initial ramp IR has a duration of 0.25 seconds. For the initial ramp IR, the controller 10 is configured to open the throttle valve 111 at a predetermined rate (ie, with a predetermined slope). The predetermined rate at which the throttle valve 111 is moved during the initial ramp IR may be stored in the memory device 12 and retrieved by the controller 10 . The rate at which throttle valve 111 is moved during initial ramp IR is greater than the rate at which throttle valve 111 is moved during intermediate ramp MR. In the illustrated arrangement, the predetermined rate at which throttle valve 111 is moved during initial ramp IR is the maximum rate at which actuator 20 may be driven by controller 111 .

Because the rate at which the throttle valve 111 is moved during the initial ramp IR is predetermined, and the launch position has been established, determining the duration of the initial ramp IR using the relational data table of FIG. 9 inherently establishes that in this example is the first intermediate position of the throttle valve 111 which is 38% open. As such, the initial ramp IR is based on the measured first temperature T1. More specifically, in the illustrated arrangement, the duration of the initial ramp is dependent on the first measured temperature T1 , while the rate at which the throttle valve 111 is opened during the initial ramp is independent of the first measured temperature T1 .

Having established the characteristics of the initial ramp IR, the controller 10 then utilizes the relational data table of FIG. 9 to determine the characteristics of the intermediate ramp MR. As can be seen from FIG. 9 , the behavior of the intermediate ramp MR depends on both the first measured temperature T1 and the second measured temperature T2 . In particular, the duration of the intermediate ramp MR depends on both the first measured temperature T1 and the second measured temperature T2. More specifically, the duration of the intermediate ramp MR has a first-order dependence on the measured first temperature T1, as well as on the absolute difference between the measured first temperature T1 and the measured second temperature T1 ( That is, |T1-T2|) second-level dependence. In this example, having a measured first temperature T1 of 10°F and a measured second temperature T2 of 10°F yields an absolute difference of 0°F. Therefore, using the relational data table of FIG. 9, it is determined that the intermediate ramp MR has a duration of 55 seconds. Similar to the rate of the initial ramp IR, the second intermediate position (ie the end point of the intermediate ramp MR) is also predetermined and stored in the memory device 12 . In this example, the second intermediate position is established at 91%. Therefore, since the start and end positions of the intermediate ramp MR (i.e., the first and second intermediate positions) are already known/established, the controller's determination of the duration of the intermediate ramp MR from the relational data table of FIG. 9 is inherently determined The rate at which the throttle valve 111 is opened during the intermediate ramp MR (ie, the slope of the intermediate ramp MR). While the second intermediate position is illustrated as preset to 91% open, it is understood that other values may be used. Additionally, in some arrangements, the second intermediate position may be set in the fully open position, thereby eliminating the final ramp. In such an example, the second throttle-on phase COS2 would consist of an initial ramp and intermediate ramps IR, MR.

As discussed above, having determined the characteristics of the initial and intermediate ramps IR, MR, the controller 10 then uses the relational data table of FIG. 9 to determine the characteristics of the final ramp FR. As shown in FIG. 9 , the behavior of the final ramp FR depends on the measured first temperature T1 . In the illustrated arrangement the behavior of the final ramp FR does not depend on the measured second temperature T2, but in an alternative arrangement it does.

As with the intermediate ramp MR, the duration of the final ramp FR depends on the first measured temperature T1 and can be determined using the relational data table of FIG. 9 . For this example, the final ramp FR is determined to have a duration of 0.2125 ms for a measured first temperature T1 of 10°F.

Therefore, the controller's determination of the duration of the final ramp FR from the relational data table of FIG. The rate at which the flow valve 111 is opened during the final ramp FR (ie the slope of the final ramp FR).

In the illustrated graphs of Figures 3, 11-12, and 15-16, the rate at which the throttle valve 111 is opened during each of the start ramp SR, initial ramp IR, intermediate ramp MR, and final ramp FR is shown as a constant rate. Accordingly, the slopes of each of the start ramp SR, initial ramp IR, intermediate ramp MR, and final ramp FR are shown to be linear. However, in certain other arrangements of the invention, the rate at which the throttle valve 111 is opened during each of the start ramp SR, initial ramp IR, intermediate ramp MR, and/or final ramp FR may be variable. The rate of change such that the slope will be non-linear, including (not limited to) curved, stepped, etc. In fact, as will be discussed below with respect to FIGS. The rate at which each period is turned on is shown as a constant rate, but the rate is actually a variable step rate. Thus, shown in Figures 3, 11-12 and 15-16 is the throttle valve 111 being opened during each of the start ramp SR, the initial ramp IR, the intermediate ramp MR and the final ramp FR effective rate.

18 to 20 concurrently, the method by which the controller 10 drives the movement of the actuator 20, which in this case is a unipolar stepper motor, to open and close the throttle valve 111 at various rates will be described. . The movement of the stepper motor is divided into equal increments of four motor steps, where four motor steps make one full revolution of the stepper motor. For one specific example, the stepper motor is configured such that 55 revolutions of the stepper motor (ie, 220 motor steps) are required to move the throttle from a fully closed position to a fully open position. The controller 10 controls the movement of the stepper motor (which in turn moves the throttle in a corresponding manner) by generating pulses sent to the stepper motor, where each pulse moves the stepper motor by a single motor step. More specifically, as can be seen in Figure 18, the controller is configured to generate a set of pulses. In the illustrated arrangement, the controller 10 generates a set of four pulses. Groups of four pulses are chosen over a single pulse to make the stepper motor rotation calculation simple and also to ensure that the stepper motor does not slip when changing direction. In the illustrated control logic, the pulse width sent to the stepper motor is held at a constant 2.5ms (which is the fastest possible).

To vary the rate at which the stepper motor opens or closes the throttle valve 111, the delay between pulse sets is varied as desired. This is illustrated by comparing the pulse diagrams of FIGS. 19 and 20 . As shown in Figure 19, the delay between the first and second pulse sets is set to be as small as possible (ie 2.5 ms). Thus, when using the pulse setting control of Figure 19, the throttle valve 111 will be moved at a first rate. In comparison, the delay between the first and second pulse sets is set to be larger (ie 5.0 ms) in FIG. 20 . Thus, when using the pulse setting control of FIG. 20, the throttle valve 111 will be moved at a second rate that is less than the first rate.

Referring now to FIGS. 8 to 12 simultaneously, the effect of using the low speed protocol versus using the high speed protocol on the behavior of the second throttle-on phase COS2 for the same measured first and second temperatures T1 , T2 will be discussed. FIG. 11 is a graphical representation of throttle movement using data set 1 , and FIG. 12 is a graphical representation of throttle movement using data set 2 . As can be seen, for this example, for both data set 1 and data set 2, the first measured temperature is 10°F and the second measured temperature is 10°F. Thus, for each of data set 1 and data set 2, the start position is determined to be the same (ie 2% open in the example).

However, for the remainder of data group 1 (which indicates the characteristics of the second throttle-on phase COS2 in FIG. 11 ), the values are taken from the low-speed protocol relationship data table of FIG. 9 . By comparison, for the remainder of data group 2 (which indicates the characteristics of the second throttle-on phase COS2 of FIG. 12 ), the values are taken from the high-speed protocol relationship data table of FIG. 10 .

By comparing Figures 11 and 12, it can be seen that the duration of the initial ramp IR is increased when using the high-speed protocol compared to the low-speed protocol. Thus, the duration of the initial ramp IR is dependent on the measured engine speed when the throttle is in the starting position. However, the rate at which the throttle valve 111 is opened during the initial ramp IR is the same for both the high speed and low speed protocols which, as discussed above, can be preselected so that the actuator 20 can open the throttle. The fastest speed of valve 111. Thus, the rate at which the throttle valve 111 is opened during the initial ramp IR is independent of the measured engine speed when the throttle valve is in the start position.

Furthermore, by comparing Figures 11 and 12, it can further be seen that the duration of the intermediate ramp MR is independent of the measured engine speed when the throttle valve 111 is in the starting position. However, it can be seen that the rate at which the throttle valve 111 is opened during the intermediate ramp MR is dependent on the measured engine speed when the throttle valve is in the start position. With regard to the final ramp FR, it can be seen that both the duration and the rate at which the throttle valve 111 is opened during the final ramp FR depend on the measured engine speed when the throttle valve is in the starting position.

Finally, the second throttle open phase COS2 of FIG. 11 (ie, the low speed protocol) takes a total time t1 to complete, while the second throttle valve open phase COS2 of FIG. 12 (ie, the high speed protocol) takes a total time t2 to complete. In some arrangements, t1 may be equal to t2 when the first and second temperatures T1, T2 are the same, so that the total time of the second throttle opening phase COS2 with the throttle valve 111 in the starting position is related to the measured engine Speed is irrelevant.

Referring now to FIGS. 13 to 16 simultaneously, the influence of different first and second temperatures T1 , T2 on the behavior of the second throttle opening phase COS2 for the same measured engine speed will be discussed. FIG. 15 is a graphical representation of throttle movement using data set 3 and FIG. 16 is a graphical representation of throttle movement using data set 4 . As can be seen, for these examples, the first measured temperature is 10°F and the second measured temperature is 10°F for data set 3 (i.e., cold engine start), while for data set 4 (i.e., hot Engine Start) The first temperature measured was 90°F and the second measured was 80°F. The low speed protocol is considered to have been selected by the controller for each of these situations. Therefore, the low speed relationship data table of FIG. 14 is used to characterize the second throttle opening stage COS2 for both cold engine and hot engine starts to generate the remaining values of data 3 and 4 .

It can be seen by comparing Figures 15 and 16 that the starting position is different and therefore dependent on the measured first temperature T1 (as discussed above). Regarding the initial ramp IR, the duration of the initial ramp IR in FIG. 16 is longer than the duration of the initial ramp IR in FIG. 15 . Thus, the duration of the initial ramp IR depends on the measured first temperature T1. However, the rate at which the throttle valve 111 is opened during the initial ramp IR is the same for both FIGS. fast rate. Thus, the rate at which the throttle valve 111 is opened during the initial ramp IR is independent of the measured first and second temperatures T1 , T2 .

Furthermore, by comparing Figures 15 and 16, it can further be seen that the duration of the intermediate ramp MR is dependent on both the measured first and second temperatures Tl, T2 (as discussed above). It can also be seen that the rate at which the throttle valve 111 is opened during the intermediate ramp MR is dependent on both the measured first and second temperatures T1, T2 (as discussed above). With regard to the final ramp FR, it can be seen that both the duration and the rate at which the throttle valve 111 is opened during the final ramp FR depend on the measured first temperature T1.

Finally, the second throttle opening phase COS2 of FIG. 15 (i.e. cold engine start) takes a total time t3 to complete, while the second throttle opening phase COS2 of FIG. 16 (i.e. hot engine start) takes a total time t4 to complete . It can be seen that t4 is significantly smaller than t4. Thus, the total time of the second throttle opening phase COS2 is the same depending on the measured first and second temperatures T1 , T2 .

It should be noted that while the graphs of FIGS. 11-12 and 15-16 accurately depict the data of the relational data tables discussed above, they are not to scale. As can be seen from the data values of the relational data tables discussed above, if they were proportional, ramps could not reasonably be clearly delineated in a single page.

Referring now to FIGS. 21 to 24 concurrently, there is shown an integrated ignition and automatic throttle module 3000 mounted on an air-cooled internal combustion engine 100 in accordance with the present invention. The integrated ignition and auto-throttle module 3000 includes the electronic auto-throttle control system 1000 described above with respect to FIG. 1 and is configured to perform the method of FIG. 2 . The electronic auto-throttle control system 1000 integrating the ignition and auto-throttle module 3000 includes the actuator 20, the controller 10 (which includes the processor 11 and the memory device 12), the first temperature sensor 30, the second temperature Sensor 40, motor drive circuit 160, and electrical connections/communication channels 51-54. The function and structure of the electronic auto-throttle control system 1000 in the integrated ignition and auto-throttle module 3000 is the same as described above and therefore no further description is required. It should be noted, however, that the second temperature sensor 40 may be omitted in certain arrangements.

The integrated module and automatic throttle module 3000 also includes an ignition circuit 4000 (which generally includes a charge coil 4010 ), a regulation circuit 4020 , an energy storage device 4030 , a switch 4040 , an ignition coil 4050 and a steel laminate lamination 4070 . Charging coil 4010, regulating circuit 4020, energy storage device 4030, switch 4040, and ignition coil 4050 are in operable cooperation with each other and with controller 10 via electrical connections/communication channels 56-60. Steel laminate lamination 4070 is operatively positioned relative to charging coil 4010 as described below.

In the illustrated embodiment, charging coil 4010 may be conceptually considered an engine speed sensor that generates an electrical charge due to a magnetic circuit formed in steel laminate laminations 4070 in response to magnet 127 of flywheel 126 . Specifically, the charging coil 4010 surrounds the center leg (not visible) of the steel lamination lamination 4070 and when the magnet 127 on the flywheel 126 cuts the magnetic flux in the steel lamination lamination 4070 (when the magnet passes the magnetic flux) , a magnetic circuit is formed within this center leg, which in turn generates charge in the charging coil 4010. This induced charge not only provides a pulsed charge to the energy storage device 4030 (which may be a high voltage capacitor), but is also received/detected by the controller 10 (after being regulated by the regulation circuit 4020). Based on the timing of the electrical pulses generated by the charging coil 4010, the controller 10 determines the rotational speed of the engine. As shown in the current block diagram, the electrical pulses of the charging coil are conditioned to provide a signal acceptable to the processor 11 . In other arrangements, such as when the ignition module is not a magnetic ignition system, a rotational sensor may be provided, which is a component other than and/or in addition to the charging coil 4010, which may be detected mechanically, electrically or magnetically, The rotation of the engine is detected potentially through an appropriate coupling to the crankshaft or camshaft.

Electrical connections/communication channels 56-60 may include, without limitation, electrical wires, fiber optics, communication cables, wireless communication paths, and combinations thereof. As described in greater detail below, each of the electrical connections/communication channels 56-60 can facilitate desired operation, transmission, communication, power supply, and/or control between the coupled elements/components. The exact structural characteristics and arrangement of the /communication channels 56-60 are not limitations of the present invention.

Integrated ignition and auto-throttle module 3000 also includes housing 3010 (shown schematically in FIG. All elements/parts. Conceptually, the ignition circuit 4000 combined with the housing 3010 can be considered as an ignition module. As illustrated, the ignition module is a magnetic ignition system.

As described herein, by housing the electronic automatic throttle control system 1000 and the ignition circuit 4000 within the same housing 3010, a single unit that can be mounted to the engine block 120 (specifically, to the engine crankcase 123) are generated in a single step. In the illustrated arrangement, integrated ignition and auto throttle module 3000 may be mounted to engine block 120 by coupling steel laminate lamination 4070 to the engine block via screws or other fasteners. Steel laminate laminations 4070 are then coupled to housing 3010 , thereby facilitating installation of the entire integrated module 3000 to engine block 210 .

In addition to controlling automatic throttle control system 1000 , controller 10 may be configured to control ignition circuit 4000 , for example, by controlling the timing for igniting spark plug 4060 . For example, the controller 10 can adjust the ignition angle (retard the spark) and optimize the spark timing when the engine is throttled. Housing 3010 may define a single interior cavity, or may include interior walls that divide the interior cavity into a plurality of chambers. Additionally, the housing 3010 may be a fully enclosed housing or a partially enclosed housing having at least one open side. In the illustrated arrangement, housing 3010 includes a potting compound 4080 that seals its interior with the components enclosed therein.

As illustrated, the controller 10 and the motor drive circuit 160 are disposed entirely within the interior cavity of the housing 3010 . However, the first temperature sensor 30 protrudes from the housing 3010 . More specifically, the first temperature sensor 30 protrudes from the housing 3010 and is coupled to the steel laminate stack 4070 for thermal coupling thereto. In one arrangement, the first temperature sensor 30 may be embedded in the steel laminate stack 4070 . As a result of being coupled to (which includes embedding) the steel lamination lamination 4070, the first temperature sensor 30 measures the temperature of the steel lamination lamination 4070, which in turn due to its thermal The way the cylinder 120 heats up (and cools down). Thus, the first temperature sensor 30 measures the engine block temperature.

The second temperature sensor 40 also protrudes from the housing 3010 such that at least a portion of the second temperature sensor 40 remains exposed to the surrounding environment. This allows the ambient air 150 entering the blower housing 500 to contact the second temperature sensor 40 . Thus, despite being part of the ignition module, the second temperature sensor 40 can measure the temperature of the ambient airflow 150 . In certain arrangements of the integrated ignition and auto-throttle module 3000, the second temperature sensor 40 may be provided entirely outside of the housing 3010 and may even be omitted.

The integrated ignition and auto throttle module 3000 is mounted to the engine block 120 near the flywheel 126 . Specifically, the integrated ignition and auto-throttle module 3000 is secured to the engine crankcase 123 adjacent the flywheel 126, such as by a steel laminate lamination 4070 as described above. A magnet 127 is provided on the flywheel 126 . During rotation of the flywheel 126 about the crankshaft 128, the magnet 127 passes through the ignition module steel lamination 4070, cutting the flux lines and generating a magnetic field in the center leg, which causes the charging coil 4010 to generate a charge coil 4010 that charges the energy storage device 4030, which may be a high voltage capacitor high voltage supply. A switch 4040 in the form of a controllable semiconductor rectifier transfers the energy stored in the energy storage device 4030 to the primary coil 4051 of the ignition coil 4050 to generate a magnetic field that charges the secondary coil 4052 of the ignition coil 4050 . As a result of the secondary coil 4052 being charged, the spark plug 4060 is ignited/sparked.

The controller 10 synchronizes the spark of the spark plug 4060 with engine rotation through its detection of the rotational speed and rotational position of the engine (via, for example, the position of the engine crankshaft and/or camshaft). The regulation circuit 4020 performs the following functions: (1) optimize the gate current of the switch 4040 for all RPM ranges; (2) filter parasitic discharges present on the sensor signal; and/or (3) ensure the correct lead angle. While ignition circuit 4000 is illustrated as capacitive discharge ignition, it is understood that various types of ignition circuits may be incorporated in integrated ignition and auto-throttle module 3000 according to the present invention, such as inductive discharge ignition. Additionally, while a magnetic ignition system is illustrated, the integrated ignition and auto-throttle module 3000 may include other types of ignition systems, such as battery and coil operated ignition, mechanically timed ignition, and electronic ignition.

As illustrated in FIGS. 23-24 , the controller 10 includes two processors 11 mounted to a circuit board 4055 along with a motor driver 160 , a switch 4040 , an energy storage device 4030 , and a shutdown terminal 4096 . Additionally, a ground tab 4090 is provided. The ground tab 4090 is coupled to the steel laminate lamination 4070 which acts as a ground through its coupling to the engine block 120 . A power line 4098 is also provided for receiving 12V power. Lead wires 4097 protrude from the potting compound 4080 of the housing 3010 for connection to the motor/DLA. Similarly, high voltage secondary coil leads 4095 also protrude from housing 3010 for electrical coupling to spark plug exit shields and terminals.

As mentioned above, the internal combustion engine 100 illustrated in FIG. 22 is an air-cooled engine and thus includes a plurality of heat transfer fins 129 extending from the cylinder bank 124 . Furthermore, the internal combustion engine 100 is positioned within a blower housing 500 that includes a blower 501 that draws in and pushes the ambient airflow 150 over the internal combustion engine 100 (including on the second temperature sensor 40 and into the carburetor 110 ).

Referring now to FIG. 25 , a second arrangement of an integrated ignition and auto-throttle module 5000 according to the present invention is shown in schematic form. The integrated ignition and auto-throttle module 5000 is similar to the integrated ignition and auto-throttle module 3000 described above, except for the following: The components and components of the integrated ignition and auto-throttle module 5000 are housed in the first housing 5010 and the second housing 5020 instead of in a single housing 3010 like the integrated ignition and auto throttle module 3000. Accordingly, the above description of the integrated ignition and auto-throttle module 3000 applies to the integrated ignition and auto-throttle module 5000 except as set forth below. While the components and assemblies of the integrated ignition and auto-throttle module 5000 are spread between the first and second housings 5010, 5020 as illustrated, in addition to controlling the timing for igniting the spark plug 4060, the controller 10 also controls The integrated ignition and auto-throttle modules are still integrated in the sense of the auto-throttle control system 1000 .

The second housing 5020 accommodates the charging coil 4010 . As described above, the laminated lamination 4070 is coupled to the second housing 5020 and is operatively positioned/coupled with the charging coil 4010 . The first temperature sensor 30 is also received in a protruding manner by the second housing 5020 for coupling to the steel laminate lamination 4070 as described above. The second housing 5020 also accommodates an ignition coil 4050 including primary and secondary coils 4051 , 4052 and an energy storage device 4030 . However, in certain other arrangements, the energy storage device 4030 may be co-located with the first housing 5010 . The first housing 5010 includes the remaining components illustrated in FIG. 25 and described above for the integrated ignition and auto-throttle module 3000 .

In another arrangement of the integrated ignition and auto-throttle module 5000 (which is not shown), the laminated lamination 4070 may be coupled to the first housing 5010 while the charge coil 4010 is again supplied by the first temperature sensor 30 together with the first housing 5010. A casing 5010 accommodates. In these arrangements, the energy storage device 4030 may also be housed by the first housing 5010 . Thus, the second housing 5020 will house only the ignition coil 4050 (which includes the primary and secondary coils 4051, 4052). The electric energy of the energy storage device 4030 is transmitted to the ignition coil 4050 via an external circuit. The switch 4040 may be accommodated by the second case 5020 instead of the first case 5010 . In arrangements where multiple spark plugs need to be ignited in different engine cylinders (at different times), the second housing 5020 can house multiple ignition coils 4050, one for each spark plug that needs to be ignited.

In other arrangements where the ignition coils 4050 are separate from the controller package, a laminated laminate may be provided for each ignition coil 4050 to optimize energy transfer so it need not be external. In such conditions, small laminations inside the coil body (similar to car coils) can be used. In this case, the secondary coil 4052 may be incorporated such that both ends of the secondary coil 4052 are connected to a single cylinder spark plug and the coil ignites in wasted spark mode such that although both coils ignite, only one coil is under fire combustion in the cylinder. This control can be realized by the controller 10 . However, this control can be made simpler if the coil is energized by a battery instead of a magnet, since the battery can charge the coil instead of a capacitor.

Returning to FIG. 1 , it is disclosed that, in certain arrangements, electronic auto-throttle system 1000 may include a feedback sensor configured to measure an air-fuel ratio indicative of an air-fuel mixture that is to be or is being combusted in an internal combustion engine. parameters. As discussed in more detail below, this feedback sensor can be operatively coupled to controller 10 to form a closed feedback loop through which the speed and/or position of throttle valve 111 can be adjusted at the second throttle opening Dynamically controlled during phase COS2 (in response to measurements made by feedback sensors, which may be substantially real-time). In the example shown, the feedback sensor is illustrated as an exhaust gas sensor 50 , which may be an oxygen concentration sensor that measures the oxygen content in the exhaust gas being expelled from the combustion chamber 121 . In other arrangements, the feedback sensor may be a suitable sensor, such as an oxygen concentration sensor, positioned in the air-fuel mixture prior to combustion in the combustion chamber 121 (eg, in the carburetor 110), or positioned in the The air-fuel mixture supply passage of the combustion chamber 121 extends into the air-fuel mixture supply passage. In yet another arrangement, the feedback sensor may be an air pressure sensor in the carburetor float that will determine the fuel pressure in the inlet. In such an arrangement, the rate at which the throttle opens can be changed dynamically if the pressure relief valve is moved, or if fuel pressure changes while the throttle is still ramped. If the throttle is still on the start ramp or mid-ramp cycle, rapid throttle changes can cause smoke problems. A throttle position sensor can also be used.

In certain aspects of the invention, when such a feedback sensor is used, the movement characteristics (eg velocity and/or position) of the throttle valve 111 during the second throttle-on phase COS2 are dependent on the real-time measurements of the feedback sensor. In one such arrangement, the movement characteristics (eg velocity and/or position) of the throttle valve 111 during the second throttle opening phase COS2 may be independent of the first and second temperatures T1 , T2 . Thus, the first and second temperature sensors 30, 40 can be omitted. In other arrangements, the movement characteristics (eg speed and/or position) of the throttle valve 111 during the second throttle opening phase COS2 may additionally depend on the feedback first and At least one of the second temperatures T1, T2.

An exemplary method of using such a feedback sensor to dynamically control the opening of the throttle valve 111 during an engine start event is now described. As a matter of threshold, the controller 10 may execute the first throttle opening phase COS1 as described above, thereby moving the throttle valve 111 from the initial position to the starting position (assuming the initial and starting positions are not equal). The starting position may be dependent on the first temperature T1 as discussed above in one arrangement, or may be independent of the first and second temperatures T1 , T2 in another arrangement.

In summary, once the throttle valve 111 is in the starting position (which, as discussed above, may be one of the lowered starting positions), the controller 10 starts the second throttle opening phase COS2. At the beginning of and during the second throttle-on phase COS2, the controller 10 repeatedly receives a signal from the feedback sensor representing the measured parameter. These signals may be continuously received during the second throttle opening phase COS2 and may be real-time measurements taken during movement of the throttle valve 111 from the start position towards the fully open position. Upon receipt of these signals, the controller 10 determines the characteristics of the movement of the throttle valve 111 based on the most recently received signal. In other words, the nature of the movement of the throttle valve 111 depends on the most recent measurements made by the feedback sensor. In one aspect, the controller 10 determines the rate at which the throttle valve 111 is to be moved toward the fully open position based on the most recently received signal from the feedback sensor. The characteristics of the movement of the throttle valve 111 may be determined by the controller 10 using a relational data table (or algorithm) including the measured parameters as variables (similar to that discussed above for the first and second temperatures T1, T2).

Using the actuator 20, the controller 10 then moves the throttle valve 111 towards the fully open position according to the characteristics of the movement most recently determined by the controller 10. In one arrangement, the controller 10 moves the throttle valve 111 towards the fully open position at a rate that has recently been determined. As a result of the movement (and adjustments in the characteristics of the movement) of the throttle valve 111 during the second throttle opening phase COS2, the parameters measured by the feedback sensor may change. However, because the feedback sensor is in a feedback loop with the controller 10 throughout the second throttle opening phase COS2, the controller 10 dynamically adjusts the characteristics of the movement of the throttle valve 111 based on the most recently received measurements. Accordingly, substantially real-time adjustments to the nature of the movement of the throttle valve 111 may be made to ensure an optimum air-fuel ratio for the air-fuel mixture to be combusted or being combusted. Therefore, in this case, the second throttle opening phase COS2 can be considered as a dynamic throttle opening phase.

While the foregoing description and drawings represent exemplary embodiments of the invention, it will be understood that various changes may be made thereto without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims. additions, improvements and substitutions. In particular, it is clear to those skilled in the art that the present invention may be embodied in other specific forms, structures, configurations, proportions, dimensions and by using other elements, materials and components without departing from the spirit or essential characteristics of the present invention. change. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the present invention may be employed with numerous variations in construction, configuration, proportions, dimensions, materials, and components, and otherwise in the practice of the invention, which are particularly suited for use without departing from the principles of the invention. case-specific environmental and operational requirements. The presently disclosed embodiments are thus to be considered in every respect as illustrative and not restrictive, the scope of the invention being defined by the appended claims and not limited to the foregoing description or embodiments.

Claims (32)

1. A method of controlling a throttle valve of an internal combustion engine using an electronic system, the electronic system comprising in operable cooperation a controller, a first temperature sensor configured to measure a first temperature indicative of engine temperature, configured to a second temperature sensor measuring a second temperature indicative of ambient air temperature, and an actuator configured to move the throttle valve, the method comprising: a) determining, with said controller, an activation position for said throttle valve dependent on said first temperature; b) performing a first throttle opening phase, said first throttle opening phase comprising moving said throttle valve from an initial position to said starting position with said actuator; c) determining, with the controller, a first ramp for opening the throttle valve, wherein a first characteristic of the first ramp is dependent on the first and second temperatures; and d) after completion of said first throttle opening phase, a second throttle opening phase is performed, said second throttle opening phase comprising using said actuator to move said throttle valve according to said first ramp move towards the fully open position; Wherein said electronic system also includes an engine speed sensor, and said step b) includes: b-1) measuring the engine speed of the internal combustion engine using the engine speed sensor, the engine speed sensor being operatively coupled to the controller when the throttle valve is in the starting position; b-2) using said controller to determine whether the measured engine speed is at or above engine crank speed; and b-3) Upon determining that the measured engine speed is lower than the engine crank speed, closing the throttle valve by an amount and returning to step b-2). 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first characteristic of the first ramp determined in step c) is dependent on the first temperature and the difference between the first temperature and the second temperature difference between. 3. A method as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 2, wherein the first characteristic is the rate at which the throttle is moved during the first ramp. 4. The method of claim 3, wherein step c) further comprises determining, with the controller, the first ramp for opening the throttle valve, wherein a second characteristic of the first ramp Dependent on said first temperature, wherein said second characteristic is a start position and an end position of said first ramp. 5. The method of claim 1, wherein step b-3) further comprises counting the number of times the measured engine speed is continuously determined to be lower than the engine crank speed; and wherein at the measured engine speed The throttle valve is moved to the fully open position more than the number of times in succession determined to be below the crankshaft speed of the engine. 6. The method of any one of claims 1 to 2, wherein the electronic system further includes an engine speed sensor, the method further comprising: Wherein step b) also includes: b-1') Measuring the engine speed of the internal combustion engine with the engine speed sensor, which is operatively coupled to the controller; b-2') using the controller to determine whether the measured engine speed is at or above the engine cranking speed; and b-3') upon determining that the measured engine speed exceeds the engine cranking speed, re-measuring the engine speed after a period of time using the engine speed sensor; and Wherein step c) further comprises determining, by the controller, the first ramp, wherein a first characteristic of the first ramp is dependent on the first and second temperatures and the re-measured engine speed. 7. The method of claim 6, wherein in step c), determining the first ramp comprises: determining a first characteristic of the first ramp using a high-speed protocol when the remeasured engine speed is determined to be at or above an engine speed threshold; and A low speed protocol is used to determine a first characteristic of the first ramp when the remeasured engine speed is determined to be below the engine speed threshold. 8. The method of any one of claims 1 to 2, wherein the second throttle-on phase comprises a first throttle-on sub-phase and a second throttle-on sub-phase, the method further comprising: Step c) further comprises: determining, with the controller, a second ramp for opening the throttle valve, wherein a first characteristic of the second ramp is dependent on the first temperature; and Step d) also includes: d-1) moving said throttle valve to a first intermediate position between said starting position and said fully open position during said first throttle opening sub-phase according to said second ramp; and d-2) Moving said throttle valve from said first intermediate position towards said fully open position during said second throttle opening sub-phase according to said first ramp. 9. The method of claim 8, wherein the first characteristic of the first ramp is the rate at which the throttle valve is moved during the first ramp, and the first characteristic of the second ramp is A characteristic is the rate at which the throttle is moved during the second ramp; and wherein the rate at which the throttle is moved during the first ramp is less than the rate at which the throttle is moved during the first ramp. The rate at which the two ramps are moved. 10. The method of claim 8, wherein the second throttle-on phase comprises a third throttle-on sub-phase, the method further comprising: Step c) further comprises: determining, with the controller, a third ramp for opening the throttle valve, wherein a first characteristic of the third ramp is dependent on the first temperature; and Wherein step d) also includes: d-3) Moving said throttle valve from said second intermediate position to said fully open position during said third throttle opening sub-phase according to said third ramp. 11. A method as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 2, wherein step a) is initiated in response to a key-on signal. 12. The method of any one of claims 1 to 2, wherein the initial position is a partially open position. 13. The method of any one of claims 1 to 2, further comprising: e) upon completion of step d), returning the throttle valve to the initial position using the actuator when the controller determines an engine off condition. 14. A method of controlling a throttle valve of an internal combustion engine using an electronic system, the electronic system comprising in operable cooperation a controller, a first temperature sensor configured to measure a first temperature indicative of engine temperature, configured to measure a second temperature sensor indicative of a second temperature of ambient air temperature, and an actuator configured to move the throttle valve, the method comprising: a) using the controller to determine a first ramp for opening the throttle valve, wherein a first characteristic of the first ramp depends on the first temperature and the first temperature and the second the difference between the two temperatures; and b) performing a throttle opening phase using said actuator, said throttle opening phase comprising using said actuator to move said throttle valve towards a fully open position according to said first ramp; Wherein said electronic system also includes an engine speed sensor, and said step b) includes: b-1) measuring the engine speed of the internal combustion engine with the engine speed sensor, which is operatively coupled to the controller; b-2) using said controller to determine whether the measured engine speed is at or above engine crank speed; and b-3) Upon determining that the measured engine speed is lower than the engine crank speed, closing the throttle valve by an amount and returning to step b-2). 15. The method according to claim 14, wherein the first temperature sensor is configured to measure a temperature of a crankcase of the internal combustion engine or an engine block of the internal combustion engine as the first temperature. 16. The method of any one of claims 14 to 15, wherein the electronic system further comprises an engine speed sensor configured to measure an engine speed of the internal combustion engine, the method further comprising: Wherein step a) comprises: a-1) determining, with the controller, whether the measured engine speed is at or above an engine speed threshold; and a-2) determining the first ramp using a high-speed protocol when the measured engine speed is determined to be at or above the engine speed threshold; and when the measured engine speed is determined to be below the engine speed threshold, determining said first ramp using a low-speed protocol; and Wherein the first characteristic of the first ramp depends on whether the high speed protocol or the low speed protocol is used to determine the first ramp. 17. An electronic system for controlling a throttle valve of an internal combustion engine, said electronic system comprising: a first temperature sensor configured to measure a first temperature indicative of engine temperature; a second temperature sensor configured to measure a second temperature indicative of ambient air temperature; an actuator operatively coupled to the throttle valve to adjust the position of the throttle valve to adjust the fuel-air ratio of the fuel mixture to be combusted in the internal combustion engine; and a controller operatively coupled to the actuator, the first temperature sensor, and the second temperature sensor, the controller configured to: (1) based on the first temperature determining a starting position for the throttle valve, and operating the actuator to move the throttle valve from an initial position to the starting position during a first throttle opening phase; and (2) determining a first ramp The first ramp has a characteristic dependent on the first and second temperatures, and the actuator is operated according to the first ramp to move the throttle valve during the second throttle opening phase. move towards the fully open position; Wherein the electronic system further includes an engine speed sensor, and the controller is further configured to: b-1) measuring the engine speed of the internal combustion engine using the engine speed sensor, the engine speed sensor being operatively coupled to the controller when the throttle valve is in the starting position; b-2) using said controller to determine whether the measured engine speed is at or above engine crank speed; and b-3) Upon determining that the measured engine speed is lower than the engine crank speed, closing the throttle valve by an amount and returning to b-2). 18. The electronic system of claim 17, wherein the first characteristic of the first ramp is dependent on the first temperature and a difference between the first and second temperatures. 19. The electronic system of any one of claims 17 to 18, further comprising an engine speed sensor operatively coupled to the controller, the engine speed sensor configured to measure an engine speed of the internal combustion engine ; and wherein said controller is also configured to: (a) determining whether the measured engine speed is at or above an engine speed threshold; and (b) determining the first ramp using a high-speed protocol when the measured engine speed is determined to be at or above the engine speed threshold; and when the measured engine speed is determined to be below the engine speed threshold , the first slope is determined using a low speed protocol, wherein the first characteristic of the first slope depends on whether the high speed protocol or the low speed protocol is used to determine the first slope. 20. The electronic system according to any one of claims 17 to 18, wherein the first temperature sensor is configured to measure a temperature of an engine block of the internal combustion engine as the first temperature. 21. The electronic system of any one of claims 17 to 18, further comprising: an ignition module comprising an ignition circuit, the first temperature sensor, and the controller integrated into the ignition module; and a housing housing the first temperature sensor and the ignition circuit comprising an ignition coil, a charging coil, an energy storage device, and a switch in operable cooperation; and wherein the controller may operatively coupled to the ignition circuit. 22. An integrated ignition and electronic auto-throttle module comprising: a housing configured to be mounted to an engine block of an internal combustion engine proximate a flywheel; The housing accommodates: a first temperature sensor for measuring a first temperature indicative of engine temperature; a controller operatively coupled to the first temperature sensor, the controller configured to: determine an actuation position of a throttle valve based on the first temperature; and operate an actuator at a first moving the throttle valve into the start position during a throttle opening phase; ignition circuits; and engine speed sensor, Wherein said controller is further configured as: b-1) measuring the engine speed of the internal combustion engine using the engine speed sensor, the engine speed sensor being operatively coupled to the controller when the throttle valve is in the starting position; b-2) using said controller to determine whether the measured engine speed is at or above engine crank speed; and b-3) Upon determining that the measured engine speed is lower than the engine crank speed, closing the throttle valve by an amount and returning to b-2). 23. The integrated ignition and electronic auto-throttle module of claim 22, wherein said ignition circuit includes an ignition coil, a charging coil, an energy storage device, and a switch in operable cooperation. 24. The module of claim 23, wherein the controller is operatively coupled to the charging coil and configured to determine a rotational speed of the internal combustion engine. 25. The module of any one of claims 22 to 24, wherein the housing further houses a second temperature sensor for measuring a second temperature indicative of ambient air temperature, the second temperature sensor being operable to coupled to the controller; and wherein the controller is further configured to determine a first ramp having a first characteristic based on the first and second temperatures, and to operate the actuator in accordance with the first ramp and an actuator to move the throttle valve towards the fully open position during the second throttle opening phase. 26. A method of controlling a throttle valve of an internal combustion engine using an electronic system comprising, in operable cooperation, a controller, a feedback sensor configured to measure a parameter, and an actuator configured to move the throttle valve actuator, said parameter representing the air-fuel ratio of an air-fuel mixture to be combusted or being combusted in said internal combustion engine, said method comprising: a) said controller repeatedly receives a signal from said feedback sensor representative of a parameter measured during movement of said throttle valve from an activated position towards a fully open position; b) determining, with the controller, the rate at which the throttle valve is being moved towards the fully open position based on the most recently received signal from the feedback sensor; c) using said actuator, moving said throttle valve toward said fully open position at a rate most recently determined during step b); and d) looping to step a) until it is determined by the controller that the throttle valve is in the fully open position; Where the electronic system further comprises a first temperature sensor configured to measure a first temperature indicative of an engine temperature, the method further comprises, prior to step a): x) determining, with said controller, said starting position for said throttle valve in dependence on said first temperature; and y) using said actuator to move said throttle valve from an initial position to said start position; Wherein said electronic system also includes an engine speed sensor, said step y) includes: y-1) measuring the engine speed of the internal combustion engine using the engine speed sensor, the engine speed sensor being operatively coupled to the controller when the throttle valve is in the start position; y-2) using said controller to determine whether the measured engine speed is at or above engine crank speed; and y-3) Upon determining that the measured engine speed is lower than the engine crank speed, closing the throttle valve by an amount and returning to step y-2). 27. The method of claim 26, wherein the feedback sensor is configured to measure an air-fuel ratio of an air-fuel mixture being generated in the carburetor. 28. The method of claim 26, wherein the feedback sensor is configured to measure an exhaust gas characteristic. 29. The method of any one of claims 26 to 28, wherein the feedback sensor is an oxygen concentration sensor. 30. A method as claimed in any one of claims 26 to 28, wherein steps a) to d) are performed substantially in real time. 31. A method of controlling a throttle valve of an internal combustion engine using an electronic system comprising in operable cooperation a controller, a feedback sensor configured to measure a parameter, and an actuator configured to move the throttle valve actuator, said parameter representing the air-fuel ratio of an air-fuel mixture to be combusted or being combusted in said internal combustion engine, said method comprising: a) Executing a dynamic throttle opening phase, the dynamic throttle opening phase includes: according to the feedback loop formed between the controller, the throttle valve and the feedback sensor, based on the feedback sensor. measuring, using the actuator to move the throttle valve from the activated position towards the fully open position; Where the electronic system further comprises a first temperature sensor configured to measure a first temperature indicative of an engine temperature, the method further comprises, prior to step a): x) determining, with said controller, said starting position for said throttle valve in dependence on said first temperature; and y) using said actuator to move said throttle valve from an initial position to said start position; Wherein said electronic system also includes an engine speed sensor, said step y) includes: y-1) measuring the engine speed of the internal combustion engine using the engine speed sensor, the engine speed sensor being operatively coupled to the controller when the throttle valve is in the start position; y-2) using said controller to determine whether the measured engine speed is at or above engine crank speed; and y-3) Upon determining that the measured engine speed is lower than the engine crank speed, closing the throttle valve by an amount and returning to step y-2). 32. An electronic system for controlling a throttle valve of an internal combustion engine, the electronic system comprising: a feedback sensor configured to measure a parameter indicative of whether the air-fuel mixture to be combusted or being combusted in said internal combustion engine is at an optimum air-fuel ratio; an actuator operably coupled to the throttle valve to adjust the position of the throttle valve to adjust the fuel-air ratio in the fuel mixture; a controller operatively coupled to the actuator and the feedback sensor to form a feedback loop, the controller configured to switch the throttle valve based on measurements made by the feedback sensor Throttle valve movement from starting position to fully open position; engine speed sensor, Wherein said controller is further configured as: b-1) measuring the engine speed of the internal combustion engine using the engine speed sensor, the engine speed sensor being operatively coupled to the controller when the throttle valve is in the starting position; b-2) using said controller to determine whether the measured engine speed is at or above engine crank speed; and b-3) Upon determining that the measured engine speed is lower than the engine crank speed, closing the throttle valve by an amount and returning to b-2).